Machine for stacking tile and the like



Dec. 19, 1961 H. w. LAMB MACHINE FOR STACKING TILE AND THE LIKE 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 3, 1959 INVENTOR.

H TTORNEy Dec. 19, 1961 H. w. LAMB 3,013,671

MACHINE FOR STACKING TILE AND THE LIKE Filed April 3, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Hare Za" 7V1 Lamb 'INVENTOR.

BY "fl" WW jITTORNEy 9, 9 1 H. w. LAMB 3,013,671

MACHINE FOR STACKING TILE AND THE LIKE Filed April 3, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Harold w. liamb INVENTOR.

BY 7 AIIORNEY United States Patent Ofifice 3,013,671 Patented Dec. 19, 1 961 Filed Apr. 3, 1959, Ser. No. 804,009 15 Claims. (Cl. 214-6) This invention relates to apparatus for stacking flat plates or sheets, and one of the principal objects of the present invention is to provide an efiicient machine for automatically stacking a predetermined number of tile as produced in continuous succession in a tile press, and moving the completed stacks to a location for convenient removal from the machine, thereby dispensing with the necessity of manual stacking and counting of the tile produced by the press. However, the machine is adaptable for stacking flat plates or sheets of any kind, size or thickness.

Modern tile presses are designed to produce batches of several tile in each die operation, and since many tile are produced in small sizes it has heretofore been diflicult to remove the tile from the press and stack them in an orderly manner for kiln processing and other hand-ling.

A further object of my invention is to provide a tile stacking machine for use in cooperation with a tile press, the tile produced by the press being slidably pushed from the top surface of the prms die, through fiat bottomed troughs, by the conventional clay dust tray, which conveys clay dust to the die, onto one of several circumferentially arranged trays placed on a vertically movable and rotatable platform. Through conventional electrically and fluid controlled actuating elements in cooperation with the various layers of tile deposited on theplatform trays, the platform is lowered instep by step movements, corresponding to the thickness of the tile, during the stacking' operations. After each stack is completed the platform is automatically lowered a short distance to clear obstructions on the machine, then rotated to bring an empty tray into frontal relation with the tile press and raised to its upper starting plane.

Another important feature of my improved machine is a horizontally movable tile carrying yoke, or frame, having thereon a tile carrying trough for carrying tile from a certain position to which it is pushed and depositing it on the tray in the process of stacking. A horizontally movable wiper yoke is mounted in cooperative, relatively movable relation with the tile carrying yoke and is provided with a pair of wiper blades, one being of soft resilient material for engagement with the front ends of a layer of tile to align the ends of any individual tile which become disarranged in transit toward the stacking tray upon withdrawal therefrom of the tile carrying trough. 1

Although in the operation of the present embodiment of my improved machine I employ air or other fluid pressure cylinders controlled by special electrical valves of conventional types, other suitable means may be employed for effecting'cooperative movement of the various parts of the machine. 1 It is within the scope of my-invention to unstack plates or-sheets from the platform while at the same time maintaining the surface of the top-sheet in a stack at the same height as the sheets are removed singly therefrom. The

means for effecting step by step vertical movement of the platform would in the reverse arrangement mentioned be designed to raise the platform corresponding I.

to the thickness of a sheet as each sheet is removed from a stack. Such amodified form of the invention is of particular advantage and convenience in the unloading of heavy hides ormetal sheets from a pallet, for example.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will apthe cylinders in sequential order to accomplish the depear or be pointed out in the following specification in which reference is had to the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation showing one embodiment of a tile stacking machine in accordance with my inven tion, certain control valves and electrical actuating switches being indicated in schematic form, also the near side of the base enclosure being removed to show the interior parts; and also showing a tile press'die and clay dust tray; 7

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the machine shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a rear elevation of the machine with the bottom portion of the base broken away;

FIG. 4 is a section taken on the line 44 of FIG. 1, as looking toward the front of the machine;

FIG. 5 is a rear view of the tile carrying yoke;

FIG. 6 is a rear view of the'wiper yoke;

FIG. 7 is a detailed sectional view, taken on the line 7-7 of FIG. 2, showing a stack of tile partially completed, with the wipe'r yoke, together with the wiper, in

its extreme forward, latched position and with the tile carrying trough, with the fiont end or the layer slightly v short of the soft resilient wiper blade on the wiper yoke;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged detail section showing the tile carrying tray moved slightly forward from its position as shown in FIG. 7, thereby bringing the layer of tile in the trough into abutting relation with the soft wiper blade for alignment of disarranged tile in the layer;

FIG. 9'is a sectional view similar to-FIG. 7, showing both yokes in their extreme forward positions with'a layer of tile ready to be deposited on the stack;

FIG. 10 is an enlarged detail view, more'clearly'showing the metal wiper blade in position to preventbackward displacement of the tile from'the stack as the tile carrying yoke is withdrawn toward its rearward starting position; "z FIG. 11' is a detail view showing the manner of release of the wiper yoke latching means, shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 9; and 1 FIG. 12 is a side elevation, partly in section, showing an auxiliary trough through which the layers oftile are pushed into the tile carrying trough by the clay dust tray of the tile press.

As already mentioned, in the embodiment of my improved tile stacking machine as illustrated, I employ or other fluid pressure operated cylinders controlled by electrically operated valves and electrical swi-tches all of conventional design arranged for proper actuationof sired purpose of the machine, and such cylinders andtheir operating and control elements will be described in the following specification, notwithstanding'th'at other suitablev means described. I I 7 Referring to the drawings in which like reference char acters designate the same parts or elements in thes'ev eral views, the machine, as illustrated, includes a base,

which in the present embodiment is in the form of an inclosed frame 10 of suflicient hei'ght'for convenience and provided withadjustable legs 12 for" leveling' the base. Upon the upper-end of this base a platform support 14 is mounted for vertical but non-rotatable movement thereon. A platform 16 having placed about-its periphery a plurality of equidistantly spaced rectilinear:

flat bottomed trays 18 is mounted on a ratchet wheel 20 1 rotatably mounted in the upper end of the supportil tf Each of the trays 18 is providedwith, at least a vertical back wall 22, as-a means of lifting thetray' from the'p1'at-'- zform, adapted to be' rotated-intd frontal relation 'with may be substituted for those herein the tile carrying and wiper yokes, to receive the layers of tile T in the course of their stacking on the tray in position to receive them. The trays may each also be provided with a vertical side wall 24.

The support 14 is held in vertically movable but in nonrotatable relation on the base 10 by a plurality of guide rods 26 projecting slidably through bearings 28 in the top of the base 10. A piston rod 30 connects the platform support 14 with a hydropneumatic cylinder A for effecting back and forth vertical movement of the support 14 and associated platform 16. A piston rod 32 (FIG. 2) having a pawl 34 in engagement with the ratchet Wheel 20 (FIGS. 1 and 7) is connected with a horizontal air cylinder B for effecting rotation of the platform on the support 14. The control valve arrangement and operation of the two cylinders mentioned will hereinafter be described.

A pair of rods 36 (FIGS. 2, 3, 4 and 7), or similar guides, is mounted longitudinally of the base 10 rearwardly of the platform 16 in transversely spaced, parallel relation, one on each side of the longitudinal center line of the base. A second pair of similar rods 40 is transversely spaced outwardly from the first pair, all of said rods being rigidly mounted in upright end supports 42,, on the base 10. An arch-like yoke 4.4 having a horizontal top portion provided with a longitudinally extending, fiat bottomed tile carrying trough 46 is mounted at its lower ends, through ball bearings 48, on said first pair of rods 36 for longitudinal movement thereon toward and from said platform 16. A second arch-like yoke 50, of greater width than the yoke 44, is mounted at its lower ends through ball bearings 52 on the second pair of rods 40 for longitudinal movement thereon. This second yoke 50 is provided at its upper end with a wiper member 54, which may include one soft, resilient blade 56 rearwardly of the yoke for aligning the ends of tile T, as hereinafter described, and a metal blade 58, forwardly of but closely adjacent to the other blade, for preventing backward displacement of individual layers of tile from the stack, also as hereinafter described, each of these blades being of the correct length to traverse the tile carrying trough 46 between its walls. The longitudinal length of the tile carrying yoke 44 is substantially greater than that of the wiper carrying yoke 50. The tile carrying trough 46 is longer than the yoke and extends a short distance beyond its ends. The tile T is somewhat shorter than the trough 46 to provide for a short forward movement of the trough and tile for alignment of the front ends of the tile before being carried to the stack, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. In their initial rearward starting positions the tile carrying yoke lies within the other in freely telescopically movable relation, as shown, in FIGS. 1 to 4.

The tile carrying yoke 44 is provided at its upper end on one side with an upwardly projecting loop 60 (FIGS. 3, 4 and to receive the vertical side wall 24 of either of the trays 18. The wiper yoke 50 is provided with a similar, but wider, loop 62 (FIGS. 3, 4, 5 and 6) adapted to telescope the other loop. The tile carrying trough 46 may be provided at its rear end with a shallow vertical ledge 64 (FIG. adapted to abut the rear end of a layer of tile T pushed into the trough. A cross bar 66 (FIGS. 4, 5 and 9) having an upstanding projection 68 is attached at its ends to the opposed lower ends of the tile carrying yoke 44. A piston rod 70 (FIG. 9) connects this projection with'an air cylinder C, the operation of which will later herein be described.

The front inner walls of the wiper yoke 50 are provided with laterally projecting lugs 72 (FIGS. 2 and 6) in position to be abutted by similar lugs 74 (FIGS. 2 and 5) on the rear outer walls of the tile carrying yoke 44, so that when the tile carrying yoke is moved toward the-platform 16, and after substantial relative lost mo tion, the lugs 74 on the tile carrying yoke'will abut the lugs 72 on the front of the wiper yoke, after which the two yokes will move together to their extreme forward positions, where the wiper yoke will be automatically latched in stationary position by latch means including a pair of horizontal levers 76 pivoted intermediate of their ends to supports on the base 10, these levers having at their rear ends shoulders 78 ('FIGS. 1, 9 and 11) for engagement with the lugs 72 on the wiper yoke 50 and their front ends having springs 80 attached to the base 10 urging those ends of the levers downwardly and the shoulders 78 into engagement with the lugs 72. The levers 76 also have depending legs 82 in engagement with the upper end portions of vertical levers 84, pivoted intermediate of their ends to supports on the base. Piston rods 86 connect the levers 82 with air cylinders D, the purpose of which is to effect the release of the latch levers 76 from the lugs 72 (as shown in FIG. 11) at the completion of a stack of tile on a tray 18 to permit the return of the wiper yoke 50 to its rearward starting position, so that the platform 16 can then be rotated to bring the succeeding empty tray into position in front of the yokes. When released from the latch means the wiper yoke is automatically returned to its rearward starting position by means of spiral springs 88 on the outer rods 40, abutting the forward supports 42, where the yoke will remain until engaged again by the tile yoke on its next forward movement, when the wiper yoke will again be brought to its extreme forward position and automatically latched in that position during the operation of depositing a stack of tile on the succeeding empty tray 18 rotated into position in front of the y'okes 44 and 50. Accordion type bumpers 90 on the rods 40 between the rear end of the yoke 50 and the rear rod supports 42 stop the rearward movement of the yoke without shock. During the stacking operation the tile carrying yoke 46 moves back and forth independently of the wiper yoke 50 in response to movements of the piston rod 70 of the cylinder C.

The wiper member 54 is connected by piston rod 92 to an air cylinder E mounted on the top of wiper yoke 50. This cylinder effects vertical movements of the wiper as hereinafter described.

A fiat bottomed auxiliary trough 94, of substantially the same width as the tile carrying trough 46, is fixedly mounted on the rear end of the base 10 in longitudinal alignment with trough 46 and with its bottom surface in a plane approximately coincident with the top of the shallow ledge 64 on the rear end of the trough 46. The trough 94 is provided interiorly with spring urged pressure plates 96 to bear against the top surfaces of tile T being pushed from the trough 94 toward the tile carrying trough 46. The inner bottom surface of the auxiliary trough 94 is in approximate coincidence, or slightly below, the top surface of a tile press die 98, so that the tile produced in the die will after being lifted from the die be pushed into the auxiliary trough 94 by the front end of the conventional clay dust tray 100 on its next forward movement to convey clay dust to the die in the usual tile producing operation. Assuming the press to be in continuous operation, the layers of tile pushed from the press die will, in turn, abut and push the preceding tile T into the carrier trough 46. As shown in FIG. 7, the front ends of the tile stop slightly short of the front end of the carrying trough 46, which is in close proximity to the soft resilient wiper blade 56. By control means to be described, the cylinder C will then move the tile carrying yoke 44 forwardly until the front end of the tile T abut the blade 56, as shown in FIG. 8. This will align the ends of any individual tile which have become disarranged .during their movement into and through the carrying trough. The cylinder C will then move the tile carrying tray rearwardly a short distance at which time the cylinder E lifts the wiper member 54, and the cylinder C carries the tile to its stacking position over the tray 18. The wiper' member 54 is again lowered and the metal blade 58 will engage the rear ends of the tile to prevent backward displacement from the stack when the tile carrying tray is withdrawn, as hereinafter de-' scribed. Since the clay dust tray 100 is Operated by a conventional air cylinder (not shown) through a piston rod 102 (FIG. 1) its forward movements are rapid and the contact of its front end with the tile on the press die is abrupt. Therefore, the pressure plate 96 is of advantage in keeping the tile moving in smooth relation.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that my improved tile stacking machine is equipped to carry tile from the tile press as it is produced, stack it in the course of continuous production, and remove the stack to a convenient location for removal from the platform 16 without the necessity of any manual steps in the stacking operations. Moreover, since tile presses are now made to operate automatically, including the conveying of clay dust to the press die, my improved tile stacking machine installed in conjunction with such a press renders the entire operation of producing and stacking tile in any desired number entirely automatic, efiicient and economical.

It is further obvious that my invention can be adapted to the unstacking of plates or sheets of any size or thickness, while keeping the top of the stack on the same plane, by reversing the movement of the platform 16.

.As previously explained, the hydro-pneumatic cylinder A and the air cylinders B, C, D and E, as well as the electrical control valves and actuating switches,.hereinafter referred to, and which are shown schematically in FIG. 1, are of conventional types procurable on the market and connected in a suitable electrical circuit (not shown). The functioning of the various valves, switches and cylinders in the specific embodiment of my tile stacking machine illustrated will now be described.

The means for operating the hydro-pneumatic cylinder A include a well W (FIG. 1) partially filled with oil or other suitable liquid, this well being in communication at its bottom, through an increment control .valve .V3, with the bottom of the cylinder A and at its top, through a,3 -way control valve V5, with a source of air pressure. The top of cylinderA also is in communication, through a 3-way control valve V4, with a source of air pressure. It should be understood that as shown in FIG. 1, control valve V4 is open and valve V5 is closed, with its relief outlet open to the atmosphere. Valve V3 is also closed except when actuated as hereinafter described. It should also be understood that the tile carrying yoke 44 and the wiper yoke 50 as shown in FIG. 1 are in their'rearward, orinitial starting positions; also that the clay dust tray 100 has just completed a cycle of horizontal movements over the tile press die 98, the last one pushing the newly pressed batch or layer of tile T from the press die into the stationary auxiliary trough 94. In the succeeding cycle of movements of the clay dust tray the layerof tile mentioned above will be pushed on into the tile carrying trough 46, as shown in FIG. 7', and carried forward by successive movements, to be described, tothe tray 18 and stacked thereon. In the last forward cyclic movement shown in FIG. 1 the-dust tray 100 has over-ridden a one-way electrical switch S1 connected in the circuit 7 with an electrical valve V1 which controls the movements of air cylinder C connected through piston rod 70 to the tile carrying yoke 44. Upon its return movement to its initial starting position the dust tray will actuate switch S1 and control valve V1, causing the piston ofcylinder C to move tile carrying yoke 44 to its extreme forward position, as shown in FIG. 9 (assuming that the stacking operation has proceeded to the'extent shown in that view) Upon the first forward movement of the tile carrying yoke 44 (after the position shown in FIG. 1) the lugs. 74 on its rear end will engage the lugs 72 on the front end of the wiper yoke 50 and both yokes will then move to their extreme forwardpositions and the wiper yoke will be automatically latched in its forward posi tion' (as shown in broken lines in FIG. 9) until unlatched 6: (as shown in. FIG. 11) at the completion of a stack of tile-on a tray 18, as will be described. v At the end of its extreme forward movement the end of the tile carrying yoke 44 will contact a switch S2 7 which will immediately actuate air pressure control valve V2 and move wiper 54 to its down position (as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10). As the tile T deposited on the tray 18 passes under the lever S411 of a retarded action switch S4, which is connected in series through switch S3 with the control valve V3 between cylinder A and well W, will be activated to control the opening and closing of that valve, but will not become effective until tile carrying yoke 44, slightly delayed by the timing action through valve V1, returns to its initial rearward starting position and contacts switches 82a and S3, which switches perform different functions, as will be explained. At the moment that tile carrying yoke 44 contacts switch S3, valve V3, regulated by switch S4, will permit the flow of a sufficient quantity of liquid from cylinder A to well W to lower the platform or table 16 a distance equal to the thickness of the layer of tile T deposited on the tray 18. 1 Since the extent of lowering of the platform is controlled by the lift of the lever 8412, the movement will vary according to the thickness of the layer of tile underthe lever at the time of its actuation. When the lever 84a of the switch S4 loses contact with the top surface of the tile the valve V3 will close.

As more clearly shown in FIG. 7 the layers of tile T are somewhat shorter than the tile carrying trough 46,

" cylinders D; and upon the last cyclic rearward movement of the tile carrying yoke '44 when contact with said switch S3 is made'by the yoke, theplatform 16 will be first auto- 1 layer of tile to its extremeforward so that when a layer of tile is pushed into this trough the front ends of'the tile fall slightly short of the front end of the trough, as shown. Switch S3 being also connected in the circuit with valve V2 will hold the wiper 54 in its down position during the withdrawal movement of the yoke 44 withcarrying trough 46, the blade 58 (FIGS, 9 and 10) preventing backward displacement of a layer of tile deposited on the tray 18. Contact of the tile carrying yoke 44 with switch S2a, 'also connected in the circuitwith valve V1, causes the piston to stop. and immediately move forwardly with the tile'yoke 44 a suflicient distance to bring the front ends of the next layer of tile against the soft resilient blade 56 (FIG. 8). thereby bringing the front endsof any disarranged tile into alignment. Immediately afterward the cylinder C will retract the piston rod 70, withdrawingthe tile carrying trough 46 a slight distance, to free the wiper blade 58from'the end of the tile, and the action of switch S3, will then cause the cylinder E to move the wiper 54 to its uppermost position, after, which the valve Vlvwill cause the piston to move the 'tilecarrying trough' and tray 18 upon which tile is being stacked. g g F j Thesequence of operations described above willc'ontinue-until ,a stack of tile is completed, after which the operation will be as described hereinafter.

the platform support 14. This switch is in series with sjwitchSfi and also with valve V6, which operates rotatable cylinder B, and valve V7, which operates latch matioally lowered slightly to bring the vertical .walls 22 and 2 4 of the tray 18 below the switch lever 84a and then rotatedgby the cylinder B through ratchet wheel 20 until an abutment S6a o-n the platform 16 contacts a switch-S6 on the 'support14. This stops the rotation of the platform with the succeeding empty tnay-1'8 imposition in'front'of I the yokes 44' and 50 to receive a new stack of tilel; At'the same timeswitch S5 will actuate valve V7 of cylinders-D to release the latch levers, 78 from the lugs 72 on the" wiper yoke 50, thereby permittingthat yoke to be autothe springs 80 on rods 40.

matically returned to its rea'rf-ward stanting"positionby position above the After the last layer 'of tile has been stacked a S5 is actuated by the lower end of one of therods 2-6 of Upon the final downward movement of the platform 16 a portion of it will actuate a switch S7, which is connected with valves V5, V3 and V4. This closes the flow through valve V4, exhausting to the atmosphere, through its relief outlet, the air pressure from the top of cylinder A, also closing the relief outlet of valve V and admitting air pressure to the top of well W, and fully opening valve V3 to permit free flow of liquid from well W into cylinder A, so that its piston (not shown) will be forced to its uppermost position. Then, switch S8 which is connected with valves V3, V4 and V5 will again close valve V3, air pressurize the top of cylinder A and release to the atmosphere the air pressure from the top of well W. Thereafter, another tile stacking operation will proceed as hereinbefore described.

It will be apparent from the foregoing description that, as shown in FIGURE 1, and apart from its cooperative connection with switch S3 in coordinating the movements of the tile carrying yoke 46 with those of platform 16, a distinctive and important function of switch S4 is to effect, through its connection with valve V3, a vertical downward movement of platform 16 a distance equal to the thickness of a tile T pushed under the switch actuating element 94a. It will also be seen that a distinctive and essential function of switches S7 and S8, through their connection with valves V3, V4 and V5, apart from their cooperation in the rotation of the platform, after a stack of tile has been completed, is to raise the piston of cylinder A to its starting position to phice it in condition for another cycle of stacking operation. The same valve and other operating elements referred to may thus be advantageously employed in the stacking of sheets or other flat objects of any character or thickness on the platform 16, either mechanically or manually, under any conditions where it is necessary or desirable to keep the top sheet in substantially the same plane for the convenience of the stacking operation, irrespective of whether the platform is rotatable or non-rotatable or the manner in which the sheets are deposited on the platform.

It will, moreover, be apparent from the foregoing description that by a simple reversal of the operation of the valves and other elements referred to a stack of sheets, such, for example, as hides or the like, can be unloaded from a stack on a non-rotatable platform while the top of the stack of sheets on the platform is maintained at substantially the same level. In such a reverse operation the platform 16 will be in its lowest plane at the start of the unloading or unstacking operation, and by means of switch S7 the top end of well W will be pressurized through valve V5, and the relief port of valve V4 opened, as previously described. Then, each time a sheet, corresponding to a tile T or the like, is withdrawn from the stack the switch actuating element 54a will drop (instead of rise) thereby causing valve V3 to admit a sufficient quantity of liquid from well W into cylinder A to force platform 16 upwardly a distance equal to the.

thickness of the sheet. When the last sheet is withdrawn from the stack the switch element 84a will cause the platform to rise slightly and render this switch inactive, while at the same time switch S8 will be activated, thereby releasing the air pressure from the top end of well W through valve V5 and pressurizing the top end of cylinder A through valve V4, thus causing the platform 16 to be lowered against the static head of the liquid in well W until it reaches its lowermost or starting position, when switch S7 will again be activated to pressurize the top end of well W through valve V5 and release the air pressure from the top end of cylinder A through valve V4, thereby placing cylinder A in condition for another cycle of unloading or unstacking operation, as already described. 4 i

Since the operation of stacking or unstacking of sheets on or from the vertically movable platform 16, irrespective of whether it is rotatable or non-rotatable, or whether the vertical step by step movements are in one direction or the other, involves no additional features of construction in the embodiment of my invention shown in the drawing--required to adapt it to the specific uses described above, it is to believed that no additional illustration is necessary.

It should be understood that if the platform 16 is of sufiicient weight to overcome the static head of the liquid in well W by gravity it would be possible to dispense with the air pressurizing of the top end of cylinder A, in which case only the air relief port in the place of valve V4 would be necessary to prevent the piston of the cylinder from becoming air bound in its upward movement. Obviously, that would not involve the addition of structural features to any of the operating elements shown and described.

Obviously, various modifications or changes in the construction and operation of my improved machine may be made within the spirit and scope of my invention. Therefore, it should be understood that my invention is restricted only by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a tile stacking machine of the character described, and in combination, a base, a vertically movable platform support at the front end of said base, a platform rotatably mounted on said support, said platform carrying on its outer surface a plurality of equidistantly spaced, rectilinear trays having fiat bottoms, a pair of arch like yokes having substantially horizontal tops mounted on and across said base rearwardly of said platform in telescopically movable relation toward and from said platform, the narrower of said yokes being initially inclosed within the other, the narrower yoke also having a fiat bottomed tile carrying trough at its top longitudinally centered on the center of said platform, the bottom of said trough being in a plane slightly above that of the bottoms of the trays on said platform and the wider of said yokes having at its top a depending, elongated and vertica'lly movable wiper adapted to traverse the tile carrying trough inside its walls, means on said base connected to said wiper for moving it vertically in either direction, means on said base connected to said tile carrying yoke for moving it forwardly to a position in which it will inclose the open end portion of one of said trays and subsequently returning said yoke to its rearward starting position, longitudinally spaced coengaging means on said yokes for effecting a more limited forward movement of said wiper yoke than that of said tile carrying yoke, latch means on said base engageable with said wiper yoke for holding it in its extreme forward position and also for releasing it from said yoke; means on said base cooperative with said wiper yoke for automatically returning it to its rearward starting position when released from said latch means, means on said base connected with said platform support cooperative with tile stacked thereon to effect the lowering of said support and platform during the stacking operation; and means on said platform support connected with said platform for efiecting sufiicient rotation of said platform to bring an empty tray in front of said yokes after completion of a stack of tile on the preceding tray, said Wiper when lowered to wiping position at its extreme forward position having means to engage the rear ends of tile deposited on a tray to prevent backward displacement of the tile upon withdrawal of the tile carrying yoke and trough from the tray.

2. A tile stacking machine according to claim 1 and including a pair of parallel, horizontally extending and transversely spaced guides on said base on which the arch-like tile carrying yoke is mounted at its lower ends for longitudinal movement thereon, and also including a second pair of similar guides on said base transversely spaced outwardly from said other guides, the wiper yoke being mounted at its lower ends on said second guides for longitudinal movement thereon.

3. A tile stacking machine according to claim ,1. in which the latch means for holding t t; p Y KG in its extreme forward position include a lug on the lower inner wall of said yoke, and a horizontal lever having at its rear end a shoulder for engagement with said lug, said lever being pivoted intermediately to the machine base and having a leg portion depending vertically from its point of pivot, said latch means also including a separate vertical lever pivoted intermediately thereof to the base wit-h its upper end in contact with the depending leg portion of the horizontal lever, the latter having a spring attached to its front end and the base urging that end downwardly, the free end of the vertical lever being connected to the means for releasing said latch means from said yoke.

4. A tile stacking machine according to claim 1 in which the wiper includes a blade holder, a metal blade attached to its front edge to engage the rear end of tile in the tile carrying trough and a soft resilient blade attached to its rear edge in spaced relation to the other blade the soft resilient blade being for engagement with the front ends of tile for alignment thereof before entering the tile carrying trough.

5. A tile stacking machine according to claim 1 in which the tile carrying trough is provided with a shallow ledge extending across its rear end to engage the rear ends of tile in said trough.

6. A tile stacking machine according to claim 1 and including an auxiliary flat bottomed trough on said base rearwardly of and initially closely adjacent to the rear end of the aforesaid tile carrying trough to receive the tile pushed therein.

7. A tile stacking machine according to claim 1 in I which the tile carrying trough on the tile carrying yoke projects beyond the edges of said yoke longitudinally of the trough. V

8. A tile stacking machine according to claim 1 in which each of the trays carried by the platform is provided with a single side wall.

9. A tile stacking machine according to claim 1 in which the means for eifecting vertical movement of the wiper, the means for eifecting horizontal movement of the tile carrying yoke, the means for effecting release of the latch means, and the means for eifecting rotation of the platform consist of air cylinders having valve means in communication with said cylinders and a source of air pressure for controlling the operation of said cylinders; and in which the means for effecting the lowering and raising of the platform support and platform consists of a. hydro-pneumatic cylinder having valve means in communication with the top of said cylinder and a source of air pressure,.a well containing liquid, valve means in communication with the bottom of said well and the bottom of said cylinder, and valve means in communication with the top of said well and: a source of air pressure for controlling the flow of liquid from said well into and from said cylinder.

10. A tile stacking machine according to claim 2 in which the parallel guides consist of rods rigidly mounted 10 in supports at the ends of the base, and in which the means cooperative with the wiper yoke for returning it to its rearward starting position consists of spiral springs mounted on the outer rods between said wiper yoke and their adjacent rod supports.

11. A tile stacking machine according to claim 6 in which the auxiliary flat bottomed trough is provided between its walls with a spring urged pressure plate for pressure contact with the top surfaces of tile passing through said trough into the trough of the tile carrying yoke.

12. A tile stacking machine according to claim 8 in which the wiper yoke has at one side an upwardly projecting loop portion and the tile carrying yoke also has at the same side a similar upwardly projecting loop portion so dimensioned as to permit its passage through the loop of the wiper yoke and also to freely receive the single side Wall of either of the trays on the rotatable platform when said wall is in edgewise alignment with said loop.

13. A tile stacking machine according to claim 9 in which the air cylinder connection for effecting forward and return movement of the tile carrying yoke includes a transverse bar thereon having a central upstanding pro? jection connected to the air cylinder piston rod, said bar being attached at its ends to the lower end portion of the yoke.

14. A tile stacking machine according to claim 9 in which the hydro-pneumatic cylinder means for efiecting the lowering of the platform includes a liquid conduit communicating with the bottom ends of the cylinder and well, an electrical flow control valve, a retarded action electrical switch actuated by contact with tile on said platform and in an electrical circuit with said flow control valve for controlling the withdrawal of liquid from said cylinder into said well in varying amounts depending only upon the thickness of the layer of tile actuating said switch, a combined air inlet and relief valve communicating the upper end of said well with -a source of air pressure, and a combined air inlet and relief valve communicating the upper end of said cylinder with a source of lower air pressure.

15. A tile stacking machine according to claim 9 in which the air cylinder means for eifecting rotation of the platform includes a ratchet wheel connected to the center of the platform and a pawl carried by the air cylinder piston rod for engagement with the ratchet wheel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

